Partners & Funders

Since 2011, Tandem has brought together around 400 independent cultural organisations and supported the professional development of over 320 cultural managers coming from more than 160 cities and 35 countries in wider Europe. Tandem is an initiative of European Cultural Foundation (Amsterdam) and MitOst e.V. (Berlin). Each programme round is implemented with regional partners and supported by various funders.

Tandem Funders

The Robert Bosch Stiftung is one of Europe’s largest foundations associated with a private company. In its charitable work, it addresses social issues at an early stage and develops exemplary solutions. To this purpose, it develops and implements its own projects. Additionally, it supports third-party initiatives that have similar goals.The Robert Bosch Stiftung is active in the areas of health, science, society, education, and international relations. Moreover, in the coming years, the Foundation will increasingly direct its activities on three focus areas: Migration, Integration, and Inclusion, Social Cohesion in Germany and Europe and Sustainable Living Spaces. Since it was established in 1964, the Robert Bosch Stiftung has invested more than 1.4 billion euros in charitable work.

Stiftung Mercator is a private foundation, which fosters science and the humanities, education and international understanding. It specifically initiates, develops and funds projects and partner organisations in the thematic fields to which it is committed: it wants to strengthen Europe, improve integration through equal educational opportunities for everyone, drive forward the energy transition as a trigger for global climate change mitigation and firmly anchor cultural education in schools. Stiftung Mercator feels a strong sense of loyalty to the Ruhr region, the home of the founding family and the foundation’s headquarters.

Fondazione Cariplo is a private foundation of banking origin officially established in 1991. The Foundation is based in Milan and operates prevailingly as a grant making organization within four main sectors: Arts and Culture, Environment, Social Welfare and Scientific Research.

Founded in 1996, ADMAF is one of the oldest, not-for-profit cultural organisations in the Arabian Gulf. Pioneering new artistic practices, it seeks to deepen global cross-cultural dialogue and inspire a renewed interest in the creativity of the UAE and Arab world. Often in partnership with leading national and international institutions, it delivers multidisciplinary initiatives for people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities through the Abu Dhabi Festival, special projects and year-round education and community programmes. In the visual arts, it contributes to artists’ professional development, seeks to enhance and elevate the UAE art scene through publications, grants, commissions and exhibitions, works in schools and universities to inspire and inform the next generation, and uses art to tackle social issues. Presenting the creativity of the UAE at home and abroad, ADMAF uses the visual arts to empower a nation and to secure a brighter future for its communities and its artists.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is one of the world’s leading private international philanthropic organizations, making grants in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and sports, and social welfare. The Foundation funds organizations and projects that are expected to achieve a broad, lasting and positive impact for society at large, and exhibit strong leadership and sound management.

The Dutch Fund for Cultural Participation is the national agency that promotes participation in the arts and culture by encouraging people to take an active part in artistic and cultural activities. They work closely with local authorities and provinces, provide funding to institutions, stimulate debate, initiate research, and facilitate knowledge-sharing in the field of cultural education, the amateur arts, and popular culture. Founded in 2008, they are based in Utrecht.

The National Centre of Expertise for Cultural Education and Amateur Arts (LKCA) is the Dutch knowledge platform for professionals and policymakers in cultural education and amateur arts. The centre contributes to the quality of both cultural practice and policy through knowledge exchange and research.

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. British Council is on the ground in six continents and over 100 countries, bringing international opportunity to life. Arts is a cornerstone of the British Council’s mission to build bridges of trust and understanding between peoples of the world.

Mimeta is a fund based in Kristiansand (Norway) and has been working within culture and development since 2006. Mimeta is involved in culture sector development in more than twenty countries in Africa, Asia and South-America and coordinates international co-productions and promotion of art and design towards Nordic audiences.

The DOEN Foundation was established in 1991 by the Dutch Postcode Lottery. Annually, DOEN supports more than 200 initiatives characterised by an enterprising approach: people, organisations and enterprises that dare to take risks, that are creative and innovatory and thus effectively contribute to a better and cleaner world.

With headquarters in Berlin and a network of 229 missions abroad, the Federal Foreign Office maintains Germany’s relations with other countries as well as with international and supra-national organizations. This work concerns much more than just political contacts among governments and parliaments. Because Germany and German society are enmeshed in ever-growing international networks, the Federal Foreign Office promotes intensive interaction and exchange with the world in the fields of business, culture, science and technology, the environment and development issues.

In 2018 Leeuwarden was European Capital of Culture. Throughout that year, Leeuwarden-Fryslân 2018 (LF2018) implemented a programme that consisted of events and projects developed by various local and international communities. With iepen mienskip (‘open community’ in Frisian) as their compass LF2018 focused on cultural interventions that fuelled new approaches to their challenges, including exchanging ideas and experiences with Europe.

In 2020, the city of Rijeka will be the first Croatian city to be European Capital of Culture. Organiser Rijeka 2020 LLC aims to reimagine the city of Rijeka, looking back at its industrial heritage to create an energetic and innovative future. The diverse programme of Rijeka 2020 will give the inhabitants of the city a common project to collaborate on.